The subject matter disclosed herein relates to pipe sensors, and particularly to pipe-mounted sensors for detecting characteristics internal to the pipe.
Sensors can be used in determining characteristics inside pipes and piping systems, such as pressure, flow volume, flow rate, temperature, moisture and humidity, and fluid concentration, amongst others. The sensors can be integral in providing measurement and control of fluids in the pipes, and in maintaining efficient and accurate operations. Efficient control and operation in commercial industries can be essential in maintaining human safety, environmental safety, and cost efficiency.
In industries such as the oil industry, the sensors are mounted to the pipes using industry standard pipe connections, which are often large flanges on the end of a length of pipe. These flanges are bolted or screwed together at a union or joint. A sensor is attached to the flange, and the flange is connected to another flange at the end of a jointed pipe, so that the sensor is exposed to the internal area of the pipe. Because the pipe connections used for connecting sensors are also used for connecting other standard pipe equipment (e.g. pipes), the pipe connections (e.g. flanges) are very large relative to the sensors. These pipe connections can be particularly large, or otherwise onerous, in some industries, such as the subsea oil industry or other industries with relatively harsh operating environments that necessitate numerous or strict regulations, and/or stronger or more durable pipe connections.
Because the pipes and other pipe equipment can be very large relative to the sensors, a relatively large amount of space is occupied to connect the small sensors to the pipes. Space to fit sensors attached by large flanges can become very crowded, or be too small, limiting the number of sensors that can be used in a given area, and limiting the control and operation of the pipe system. Adding sensors or relocating sensors after the initial design of a pipe system can be very difficult and expensive. Furthermore, larger pipe connections require a larger amount of material, which is costly.
It would be advantageous to attach sensors within pipes without the limitations of using bulky pipe connections.